America entered
the age of the jet transport on July 15, 1954, when the Boeing 707
prototype, the model 367-80, made its maiden flight from Renton Field,
south of Seattle. It featured a revolutionary design: 35 degree
swept back wings with engines hung from them on pylons. The design
was first used on the Boeing B-47 Stratojet bomber, then the famous B-52
Stratofortress. Boeing was convinced there was market for jet
airliners, so it took a huge gamble. It did all the design work
and built the prototype on speculation - no orders in hand. It
paid off because the 707 was quickly snapped up by airlines around the
world. Plus the USAF ordered them as cargo planes, designated the
C-135, and as tankers, the famous KC-135.